Flying Operation Restore Power at 35,000 feet

Published Nov. 5, 2012
By Capt. Jeremy Shields
729th Airlift Squadron

MARCH AIR RESERVE STATION, Calif. -- On Nov. 1, more than 30 aircraft and hundreds of Air Force and civilian personnel converged on March Air Reserve Base, Calif., to help win a race against time and Mother Nature.

In the aftermath of a storm that had been labeled as the big one - "Frankenstorm" - some 1.7 million people were left without power. Hundreds were stranded as they hunkered down in their homes.

Starting in the foggy, pre-dawn hours and continuing through the evening, every 20 minutes a C-5 Galaxy, C-17 Globemaster III or KC-135 Stratotanker was on final approach to March Field. Over the course of the day, more than 65 line-trucks were loaded onto aircraft headed to destinations throughout the East Coast. Along with the trucks and supplies, more than 180 linemen were flown out to help restore the electrical power.

As one of the pilots on 'Reach 9743' (our call sign), I experienced first-hand the teamwork and urgency between the Total Force Airmen involved in the relief efforts. Leading the charge of getting help to the East Coast was the 452nd Air Mobility Wing's Current Operations section.

"A request came down to our wing commander, Col. Bo Mahaney, to see how much we could help," said Lt. Col. Tim Harris, chief, 452nd AMW Current Operations. "After meeting with the Operations Group commander, we committed two aircraft and two mission-ready crews to the operation. Immediately after offering up the aircraft and crews, we had missions assigned."

The commitment of two aircraft for this mission is significant because of the nature of the C-17's mission at March ARB, relative to the size of the fleet. On any given Thursday, the 729th Airlift Squadron, March ARB's only C-17 squadron and the largest C-17 squadron in the Air Force Reserve Command, has five aircraft committed to regularly scheduled missions in Afghanistan, Europe, the Pacific and domestically.

On this mission, 'Reach 9743' carried five Southern California Edison trucks, weighing more than 130,000 total pounds. As we taxied, there were seven other aircraft on the ramp waiting to be loaded.

This is a big operation and one where we are bringing help directly to where it is needed most," said Lt. Col. Keith Guillotte, 729th AS pilot and our aircraft commander. "At takeoff, our aircraft weighed almost 570,000 pounds. What a great opportunity, being in the military where we watch the news and then are able to go out and participate in the solution."
"This is really what the Air Force Reserve Command excels at - the ability to surge to augment the regular force in the case of Presidential-directed, national priorities and disasters, said Mahaney. "It highlights the incredible flexibility that Total Force Integration provides."

That flexibility was further highlighted when the first two aircraft, one being 'Reach 9743', returned from the East Coast after having delivered its cargo and passengers to Stewart Air National Guard Base, N.Y., near the U.S. Military Academy.

"TACC and TRANSCOM were both happy and relieved to hear that we were able to offer the first two tails back up immediately after they returned with two fresh crews," said Harris. "This is huge, as we were effectively able to double the airlift capability in a 24-hour period."

The Air Force Reserve Command's make-up allows for such flexibility. Flying the missions out of March were crews made up of officers and enlisted service members whose civilian jobs range from delivery drivers to commercial airline pilots.

"Overwhelmingly, Air Force Reservists are a selfless bunch committed to the service of their country, whether it be its defense or to aid when fellow Americans are suffering," said Lt. Col. Paul Blenz, commander, 729th AS. "Missions like these tend to fill up fast with volunteers, which makes it easy to commit crews so long as the aircraft are available."

Approaching Stewart Field at 8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, we were greeted by a friendly approach controller that seemed very happy to have our aircraft in his airspace.

"Thank you for your service and most especially for helping us out here," said the unidentified controller.

After a quick handoff, the aircraft gently touched down, delivering the critically-needed equipment to help get the East Coast back to business. By comparison, the air outside was nearly 40 degrees colder than it was at March Field. In spite of the frigid weather, a significant ground crew was assembled and ready to accept the C-17 as it taxied into its parking spot on Stewart's massive, C-5 ramp.

"The aerial port team was waiting for us to open the door so they could immediately get to work popping chains and downloading the trucks," said Senior Master Sgt. Frank Gamache, 729th AS. "The crew at Stewart is a well-oiled machine, ready to effectively move this mission along. They had a real sense of purpose and were so appreciative of the job we were doing on behalf of all New Yorkers. Our total ground time was only 25 minutes."

Once our jet was fueled, 'Reach 9743' left the East Coast for home. The five-and-a-half-hour trip west ended with a greeting of ground fog and a low ceiling. As a testament to the professionalism and proficiency that every Air Force crew exhibits, Guillotte executed a flawless, instrument-approach, down to minimums, finishing the 23-hour-plus day, deserving of
some much needed crew rest.